America is stuck in the middle of a substance abuse crisis. Over the last few years, the numbers related to opioid addiction problems have been nothing short of alarming. After factoring in a surge of drug and alcohol abuse because of the COVID19 pandemic, the problem is starting to become overwhelming.
What we are seeing is the addiction treatment community struggling to keep up with the demand for addiction treatment services. In every major city in the nation, the lists of people wanting help just seem to keep growing. As the problem continues to get worse, the addiction sufferers in the rural areas outside of the big cities are finding themselves at a disadvantage. If you live in a rural area and want help with your addiction issues, you might have difficulty getting access to addiction treatment services in your area.
We would suggest that you remain calm while trying to understand that addiction treatment services are in high demand right now. Even if you want Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) treatment services, you might still have difficulty finding what you need. Some of the rehabs in your area might not offer any outpatient treatment services while other rehabs have limited resources to accommodate your needs. If you really want to find IOP services near you while living outside of the big city, we would suggest you do one of the following three things:
- Ask for a referral from your primary care physician
- Call an addiction treatment hotline within your area code
- Go to the internet and look for outpatient rehabs in your area
If you still have trouble finding an available IOP in your area, you might have to start getting a little creative. Remember, the addiction treatment community knows that people getting help is an urgent matter. Collectively, they are doing the best they can. Of course, that might be of little comfort to you are you watch your life spin out of control because of your addiction.
Getting creative might mean expanding the scope of your search for an available IOP program. Little by little, you can start trying to contact outpatient addiction treatment centers that are located increasingly far from your home area. If you have concerns about having to drive a little further for treatment, you must remember this is your life you are fighting for right now. Eventually, you will find what you need.
About IOPs
In case you are wondering what happens in an IOP, we thought it would be prudent to offer you some information before you make any treatment commitments. As an outpatient treatment option, your participation in an IOP would include you residing at home during treatment. You would simply be required to report to the addiction treatment center for your scheduled therapy sessions.
As an IOP client, you would need to plan on reporting to the rehab facility three to five times every week. Each day, you might have to spend as many as four to six hours in therapy. Therapy would consist mostly of you working one on one with a licensed therapist. Your task would be to learn as much about your addiction as possible. If you do the hard work and get lucky, you might find out exactly why you feel the need to harm yourself with drugs or alcohol. For you, that might be a kind of revelation. If you learn the truth about your addiction, you can then work on developing the coping skills you will need to keep from using drugs or alcohol as a means of intervention in your life.
As part of an IOP, you might also get the opportunity to participate in group sessions or family therapy. These are tools your therapist might have at their disposal should they believe you could benefit from them. It’s all part of a treatment process that is directed to one thing: getting you firmly planted on the road to a lasting recovery from your addiction. Indeed, living in a rural area will offer you challenges when it comes to finding an available IOP program.
What we want to say is we are willing to provide you the help you need, even if we are not ideally located. We are in the business of helping people who need help, and you probably need help. For more information about our location, facility, and addiction treatment services, you can contact us at 833-820-2922. Someone will be available to take your call 24/7/365.